Beef farmers have raised concerns about plans to extend the Red Tractor (RT) assurance scheme to cover the whole life of the cattle, rather than just the 90-day finishing period. Nearly two-thirds opposed the change, according a survey carried out by the National Beef Association (NBA).

Country-of-origin labelling (COOL) laws come into effect today (1 April) across the European Union, requiring all packaged unprocessed meat products to be labelled where the animal was reared and slaughtered.

Greater cooperation and collaboration throughout the UK food supply chain was highlighted as a key factor in tackling the challenges of effective supply chain security, at a Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum on the subject last week.

A successful ‘Cracking down on Campy’ webinar, a joint project between MTJ and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), saw a range of experts discuss what the industry is doing, and needs to do, to combat the bacteria. A recording of the webinar can still be accessed by following the link at the bottom of the story.

The three main political parties have committed to supporting the British poultry industry after the general election in May, but agreed that the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) budget would be cut.

As dietary review guidelines once again come to the fore, it seems there are no plans by the government to amend advice on saturated fat – a decision that is coming under fire from researchers. Eleanor Mackay reports